Tampered Lives
by Whispatchet
Summary: [COMPLETE]Red and Purple are swept from office by the mysterous Sleet, but there is more to the story than a usurper of the throne. R&R!
1. Threataned

"Red?"

Red didn't seem to hear.

Purple groaned. He grabbed Red by the shoulder and spun him around. "Red!"

Even though Red was looking at him, he was still distracted.

Purple rolled his eyes.

He put his hands on Red's shoulders and shook him. Hard.

"Hey! Stop it! WHAT!" Red grabbed Purple's wrists.

"Stop ignoring me."

Red let go of Purple and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to."

"Sure you don't." Purple put his hands on his hips and smiled. "I know what you're thinking about Red. And I want you to stop."

"I wish I could. I really wish I could."

"I know. So do I."

* * *

The Tallest sat in the dark, side by side. They were both staring at a blank screen on the wall. Waiting…

The screen flicked to life, and a silhouetted figure appeared on the screen.

"Good evening." He said.

"If you say so." Red replied bitterly.

"Bad day?"

"I don't think it's any of your business Anocian."

There was a pause.

Anocian coughed, before continuing.

"I have an assignment for you." He said.

"Is that so?" Purple had a look of spite on his face.

"We don't take assignments from you remember? I won't go through this again." Red added.

Anocian leant back in his chair. He was quiet… considering them for a few moments before speaking again.

"How am I to put this… It is in your best interest to take this one."

"How so?" Purple asked.

"I'll download you the file." He pressed a button on what was presumed to be a console in front of him, and a small data-disk popped out of a small, non-existent slot, which had opened in the wall under the screen.

Red sighed, and stood to retrieve it.

Anocian curiously watched this seemingly normal action.

"You surprise me. I thought you would be…"

Red spun around and cut him off with a sinister glare.

"We don't make a point of exhibiting our abilities for trivial tasks. Do not presume anything different." Red's eyes flashed deep crimson as he spoke. Purple smiled as his reacted and deepened to a violet colour.

Anocian visibly recoiled.

"Don't get yourself upset. I just presumed…" He cut short as Red's eyes began to glow, giving the room an eerie shade of crimson, which was upset only by the light from the screen. "Uh, right."

Red sat back down next to Purple. "So, what is the nature of this assignment of yours? For curiosity's sake." He asked.

"All the details are on the disk, but the basics of it is, don't die."

Purple leant back, his eyes narrowed. "Well, that's completely reassuring." He said flatly.

"My aim wasn't to reassure you. Your positions are threatened."

Red raised a non-existent eyebrow.

"Since when have you cared about our positions?"

"Since the one after your positions posed a serious threat to Alcotech. The disk has the details. If you need to know anything else, you know how to reach me."

The screen went blank.

Red and Purple looked at each other curiously, before Red looked down at the disk in his hand.

* * *

Far away, in a sleek black and silver ship, a tall figure looked out into space.

A shorter creature, an Irken soldier, cautiously approached.

"Sir?"

"What?"

"The Massive is in sight sir. We should be there in a matter of hours."

The taller creature smiled sinisterly.

"Excellent."

* * *

Red ran the tip of one of his slender fingers along the top edge of the disk.

Purple was pacing.

Red clenched his fist as he watched his partner, dressed in casual clothes, rather than his usual robes and armor repeatedly walked the length of the room.

"Must you do that?" Red asked, slightly irritated.

"No, but what else would you have me do?" Purple snapped, pausing in his pacing to look at Red.

"If you were to help me figure out what to do it would be nice."

Purple laughed. "Why don't we put the disk in and see what it says?"

Red frowned. "You know what that would that would mean."

"I do. But why does that matter?"

Red was about to answer, when the Massive shook violently.

"What the hell was that!"

"Dunno. Let's go see." Purple said, turning towards the door.

Red nodded, and followed his friend.

* * *

The Tallest reached the bridge, and Red instantly turned to one of the technicians who were there.

"What happened?"

The technician looked up at his leader. "We've been fired upon!"

Red grit his teeth and looked at Purple.

Purple nodded, and the both of them took up their usual spots in the center of the room.

Neither of them seemed to notice the stares they were getting from around the room.

"Open a communication line with them." Purple said.

The technician who was in charge of the communications equipment, glanced at the worker beside him, who shrugged.

"Hey! Did'ja hear me?" Purple growled, spinning around.

Red looked at the technician who seemed to be hesitating. Then he realized what was going on.

"Uh, Pur?"

"What?"

Red pointed, and Purple looked down at himself. He was still in his casual outfit.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Purple was fuming.

"Relax Pur!" Red turned to the technician. "Open the line, _now_."

The technician hurriedly did as he was told, and an image appeared on the screen.

"Identify yourself." Red demanded.

All that could be seen of the person on the screen were his eyes… two, piercing, deep blue eyes. "I am Sleet. And your time is up, Tallests Red and Purp… Uh…" He paused, not recognizing Purple.

Purple growled. "THAT'S IT! I'm going to get changed." Purple turned on his heels and started walking towards the exit.

"Purple, get back here." Red sighed.

"Ah, so it is you." Sleet cooed. His voice was icy cold, and Purple froze in his tracks.

A shiver ran up Purple's back.

Slowly, he turned around.

"I hope you know what you are proposing, Sleet. We have no intention on going anywhere." Red hissed.

Sleet laughed. "I know my path. Do you know yours? Do you know what I have in store for you, and what I am going to take from you?"

Red's eyes flashed. So did Purple's.

"We know. And it's not going to happen."

"You'll have to learn the hard way, that I always get what I want. Until our next encounter, Tallests Red and Purple."

The screen went blank.

Red turned and looked at Purple worriedly.

* * *

Sleet sat back in a high-backed chair, looking out at the Massive.

He smiled to himself.

_Soon… _He thought. _Soon you will know what the true meaning of torment. You will feel my wrath…_

* * *

Red sat before the giant screen in the bridge. He was fuming. Purple stood next to him, a worried look on his face. He knew something Red didn't… something he had no intention on sharing, no matter how hard Red tried to read it.

"Red?"

"Who is he? He… he's an Irken, just like we are…"

"No one's like we are, Red." Purple said, cutting red off. "We're different… remember?"

Red sighed. "You won't let me forget. But still, he's an Irken. He should take our orders."

"But… He's the one who wants our position. If he passes the mark, we're history. No one will know us in ten seconds. We'll be nobody again." Purple said fearfully.

"There's no way we're going back to being nobody. We're the Tallest damnit! We shouldn't have to take this from… from this _underling_!" Red hissed.

Purple sighed.

"Come on."

Red's voice snapped the other Tallest out of his thoughts.

Purple looked at Red, who stood up.

"We're looking at this disk."

Red didn't wait for a reply before moving swiftly out of the room. Purple was left alone on the bridge, staring after Red.

He turned and looked at the screen behind him for a few seconds before grimacing and walking after Red.


	2. No Longer

Red inserted the disk into it's slot in his computer, and took a seat in front of the screen.

Purple stood next to him.

An image of Anocian appeared on the screen.

"So you accept? Very good." He said.

The image of Anocian was replaced by a picture of a cruel-looking Irken, with piercing deep blue eyes…

"Sleet." Red hissed, gritting his teeth.

"This is Sleet." Said Anocian's voice. "He is the one after your job, and he's the type who'll do anything to get it."

"Well, duh." Red muttered bitterly.

"He is a threat to us, because not only does he want your job, but he wants something from Alcotech. We don't know what, but he wants it bad. He's already personally killed over twelve hundred of our agents and his followers have killed thousands more. We desperately need your unique talents to help us defeat Sleet. Otherwise, who knows where his acts may lead us."

The screen went blank.

"What do you think he wants from them?" Red asked, leaning back in his chair.

Purple shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I… I dunno…"

Red looked curiously at Purple. "Are you hiding something from me?"

"Why should I?"

"Hmmmm…" Red mused. "I suppose we should arrange a meeting with this Sleet character." He suggested.

"NO!" Purple shouted before he could stop himself. "He'd kill you Red. Don't be foolish." He added, trying to hide that he knew more than he was letting on.

He failed.

"So, you do know something!" Red stood up. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!"

"You've always been a horrible liar Purple." Red growled. "If you won't tell me, I'll have to find out."

Red's eyes shimmered, and darkened to crimson.

"No… Red don't!" Purple could feel Red prying his way into his mind. "Stop it!"

"Then tell me!"

"I won't!" Purple arched his back as his eyes darkened.

"Stop fighting me Purple! I'll find out no matter how hard you fight. You will yield to me!" Red hissed, his eyes beginning to glow.

"I WON'T!" Purple's eyes gave off a bright violet coloured light, and Red was flung backwards. He crashed loudly into the wall.

Purple looked up, and saw Red slowly picking himself off the floor.

"When did you get that powerful?" Red asked weakly, still stunned from the collision with the wall.

"I…I don't…"

Red smiled, and moved back towards his slightly unnerved friend.

"Your powers are growing Pur. It's nothing to be afraid of."

"But I am afraid of it Red. I didn't mean to do what I did to you… I just wanted to get you out of my head."

Red nodded. "I shouldn't have tried to force my way in. Keep your secrets Pur. I won't try to take them from you again."

Purple smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

"Sir!" An Irken soldier said, coming up behind Sleet and saluting.

"What is it?" Sleet asked darkly.

"We have gone through the communication records of the Massive as you requested, and we have the location of the ideal exile planet. It's called Earth, and an Invader named Zim has been exiled there, although he believes he is to conquer this planet."

Sleet couldn't help but grin to himself.

"Excellent. Have a ship prepared and put on stand by."

"Yes My Tallest."

As the Irken walked away, Sleet's grin evolved into a truly sinister laugh.

"Soon…" He laughed. "Soon the entire Empire will call me that! And my dear friend and his foolish comrade will be so far away, they might as well be dead!"

Sleet's laugher rang out through the bridge of his ship, sending shivers through all who heard it.

* * *

"So what are we gunna do?" Purple asked.

"I wouldn't be wondering if I knew." Red replied dryly.

"Well, sor-ry."

The Massive shook violently again.

"Sleet." Red growled.

Both the Tallest rushed to the bridge.

"What happened this time?" Red asked as he and Purple moved to the centre of the room.

"A ship has forced a connection with us sirs! I believe it is Sleet's ship."

"That doesn't surprise me." Red muttered.

The door to the bridge opened, and a tall Irken, dressed in the robes and armour of a Tallest came through. There was no noise as he entered the room, but the air seemed to freeze in his presence.

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise. You're both still here." Sleet hissed.

"I told you Sleet. We're not going anywhere." Red hissed, his eyes darkening.

"Wishful thinking Red. But incorrect all the same." Sleet turned to look at Purple. "Do you know who I am, old friend?"

"I do. How could I not?" Purple answered in a quiet voice.

_Purple, enough secrets. Who is he?_ Red's voice sounded inside Purple's head.

"I knew him when we were smeets. He was my friend… at least I thought he was. He knew I was growing taller than he was so he tried to slip me some drugs to stop me from growing any more." Purple arched his back as he spoke.

"We have those?"

"Apparently. But his plan didn't work. I switched our snacks, as a joke, and he got the drugs instead of me. He disappeared after that."

"You ruined my life that day Purple." Sleet hissed. "But revenge is going to mend my wounds. Today is the day for such healing."

"Not likely. I'm still taller Sleet." Purple growled through his teeth.

"Is that what you think old friend? Because you are sadly mistaken. I am the superior now."

Sleet moved forward, his feet not touching the floor, and stood tall next to Red… taller. By about an inch.

"Can't be…" Red breathed.

"Can and is." Sleet said quietly. "I am the Tallest. You are nobody… now and forever more."

Tears of anger started to well up in Purple's eyes. "You son of a bitch."

"Careful what you say, my unfaithful little underling. Or I may reconsider what I am going to do with the two of you, now that I have to power to do whatever I wish for that to be." Sleet cooed, turning towards Purple.

Purple moved backwards slightly and growled.

Sleet grinned. "I have such a pleasure planned for the two of you."

Before either of the Ex-Tallest could register what was happening, Sleet's minions had them by the shoulders. They tossed them into a small ship, Purple first, who collided with the interior wall of the ship upside down, then Red, who was stripped of his robes before being pushed into the ship along with some normal clothes.

Sleet leered over the Ex-Tallest. "You two are on your way to Earth. I am assigning you into Zim's charge."

"No… you can't be…" Purple groaned.

"Can't I?"

The door to the ship closed tightly, and the small craft shot away from the Massive, towards Red and Purple's new home: Earth.


	3. Earth and Zim

Red looked out the window sadly, sitting away from Purple. He wasn't angry with him… he was just… he didn't know how he felt.

Sleet had taken everything from them… everything. Now, Sleet was the Tallest, and they had been sent to the one place where Sleet knew they would hate it… on Earth, with Zim.

The small blue planet slowly came into view.

"There it is." Red said quietly. "Earth."

"Yay." Purple replied, looking away from Red.

Purple wasn't confused about his feelings like Red was. He knew exactly where his emotions lay. He was ashamed. Ashamed that he had let Sleet get the better of him…

* * *

Before Purple had become one of the Tallest, he didn't really have any friends. Red was the closest thing he had to one after Sleet disappeared, but even he avoided him as much as he could.

But when he became a ruler of the Empire, everyone knew who he was, and treated him with respect, even if they did think he was nuts.

Now that the title had been torn away from him, he was left with nothing again… and although Red was his dearest friend now, he didn't really deserve him.

It tore his Irken heart in two.

* * *

As the planet drew closer, Red gazed over at Purple. Red felt bad that he had let Purple down…

He shuffled over.

"You okay?" He asked.

"No. But it doesn't matter any more. We're nothing…"

Red was going to answer, going to tell him that they weren't nothing, but the ship started to enter the Earth's atmosphere, and he was forced to stay quiet.

* * *

Zim trudged home after an unpleasant day at skool. He was used to it by now, but he still wished that he could destroy the planet and get it over with.

He was almost home, when his little SIR unit in his little dog costume came running up to him.

"GIR! What are you doing? I told you to guard the house while I was at skool!"

Completely disregarding what Zim had said, GIR sat at Zim's feet and grinned.

"You got a present!" He squealed.

"A present?"

"It fell from the sky!"

Zim blinked, and ran the rest of the way home, to see the small Irken ship in his front yard, with two tall Irken climbing out. He recognised them instantly.

"M-my Tallest!" Zim stuttered.

Red looked sadly at Zim. "Well there you go. We _are_ recognisable without our robes." He grumbled.

"Open it now!" GIR screeched, oblivious as always.

"What are you doing here My Tallest?" Zim said, almost laughing, running over to help his superiors out of their insufficiently sized craft.

"We're not the Tallest any more Zim." Purple said duly.

"What?"

"We were replaced. You report to… _Tallest_ Sleet now." It took a great deal of effort for Red to refer to Sleet as a Tallest without seriously hurting something.

"Sleet?"

"Yeah. Sleet." Purple growled. "We got assigned by _him_ here, in…" Purple breathed in deeply, restraining the anger he felt from having to explain. "… Your charge."

Zim's eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed, unconscious at the feet of the Ex-Tallest.

THUD

* * *

"Wake up Zim."

Zim slowly opened his eyes. He was lying on the sofa inside his house, with GIR sitting at his feet, Red standing near the window, and Purple sitting on the arm of the sofa, looking down at him.

"Gaaa!"

Zim sprang to his feet, still a little shocked to have the people he idolised in his home away from home.

"Relax Zim." Purple said sadly. He never, not even in his nightmares, imagined he would be comforting Zim, of all people.

"So, uh… how long will you be staying here?" Zim asked, not feeling at all comfortable.

"Permanently." Red growled. "We've been exiled."

Zim, apparently, didn't comprehend the relevance of what he had just been told. He did, however, know that Red and Purple were terribly upset. He knew he had to do something about it… but what?

Then it came to him. It wasn't the best idea, but it was the best that he could do, considering that he was stuck in this particular part of the city.

"Would you like me to show you around?" He asked.

Purple looked over at Red.

"Whatever."

Zim couldn't help but smile.

"You'll need disguises…"

* * *

Zim walked along the street a few hours later, followed by two taller figures.

Instead of the contacts and wig that Zim preferred, Red and Purple had holographic projectors, which Zim failed to see were more effective.

Red had short red hair, which was longer at the front, so it hung over the top of his crimson eyes, whereas Purple had scruffy black hair, and violet eyes.

They both were wearing their casual Irken clothes, but no one seemed to notice.

They walked in silence as Zim led them around, pointing out the major landmarks of the small community.

As they walked past the skool, they were ambushed by a large-headed boy with spiky black hair and a black jacket.

"I've got you this time Zim!" He shouted.

"Dib." Zim growled.

"Isn't that the human Zim's captured several times before?" Purple whispered, leaning over to Red.

"Yeah, but Zim always ended up exploding." Red laughed to himself, despite the situation.

Dib suddenly realised that Red and Purple were there.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Uh…" Purple glanced at Red. Red shrugged.

"More of your alien buddies Zim? Can't you doom us on your own?"

Red and Purple couldn't help but laugh.

Zim forcefully ignored the laugher of his new comrades and glared at Dib.

"What I do is none of your business Dib."

Zim lifted his head high and pushed his way past Dib, looking very aloof and proud.

Red and Purple followed Zim, still giggling. As they past Dib they paused, with their eyes glowing behind their holographic disguises.

Red raised his holographic eyebrows, and pushed Dib to the sidewalk. Then they both strode after Zim, leaving Dib sitting on the concrete, staring after them and feeling very confused.

* * *

"Is that human always like that?" Purple asked as they walked.

"Yes. He is quite bothersome, constantly attempting to infiltrate my base, to blow my cover, and to foil my ingenious plans." Zim replied, growling the last few words through clenched teeth.

Red and Purple looked at each other and grinned.

The trio walked together for another hour or so, with Zim pointing out every place he'd ever been.

As he was rattling on about the city Cess Pool, Red's gaze landed on a large building across the road.

"What's that place Zim?" He asked, pointing.

Zim looked over and coughed slightly.

"That is a human gathering place called a mall. I have never ventured inside, but GIR has on frequent occasions, and he tells me it is full of shops and activities that entertain teenage humans."

"Can we go have a look?" Purple asked, finally interested in something on this planet.

"I suppose…"

Purple grinned and started walking towards the large building, when Zim grabbed his wrist and pulled him backwards, saving him from a collision with an oncoming car.

"You need to be careful." Zim said after Purple was safely back on sidewalk. "Human vehicles are dangerous and cause great pain if they hit you."

"How are we supposed to get across then?" Red questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Zim pointed to a black and white stripped path a little while down the road.

"We're able to cross at the crosswalk."

"Oh."

Red and Purple were both feeling very foolish.

* * *

As they passed through the automatic sliding doors of the mall, Red and Purple were bombarded by an assortment of different noises.

Zim wasn't as effected by the din as they were; he was used to the noise from the skool playground.

It was all Red and Purple could do to not run around like smeets at a fairground, looking at everything for eight seconds then running off to the next thing. They had to act like they'd been there hundreds of times before.

They walked calmly, looking at everything they could from the centre of the large halls.

"I'm hungry." Purple whined after a short while.

"Me too. Can we get food here?" Red asked, turning to Zim, who had been patiently walking behind them.

"According to GIR, yes, but his information has been less than reliable in the past."

"Would it hurt to look?"

"I suppose not…"

"Cool!"

The trio walked up some stairs, and ended up in the food court.

"Well it looks like GIR was right for a change. What would you like?" Zim asked, looking up.

"Uh…" Purple was chewing on his fingers. He couldn't choose!

Red was the one who decided.

"How about that?"

He was pointing at a large donut shop.

"Sounds fine."

Red and Purple looked at each other and restrained the screams of joy that were welling up inside them.

Zim bought them three large donuts each, with pink icing and sprinkles, while getting a small cinnamon donut for himself.

Red and Purple were ecstatic.

"Why don't our donuts have this pink stuff on them?" Purple asked through a mouthful of donut.

Red shrugged and continued to devour his pink covered snack.

They finished their donuts, and Zim proceeded to lead them out of the mall, when Purple picked up a strange sound, coming from a shop tucked right in the far corner, and stopped.

"What's that place Zim?" he asked.

"I'm not sure…"

The trio walked towards the isolated shop, and discovered the source of the sound Purple had heard.

It was a strange looking machine, with a big screen on it. There was a platform in front of the screen, which two people were standing on.

As they moved closer, they saw that the platform had arrows on it, and on the screen, there were more arrows, scrolling from the bottom to the top.

When an arrow reached the top of the screen, the people on the platform would step on the corresponding arrow.

The song that the machine was playing seemed to be determining the pattern of arrows, and when it finished, the clearly older girl stormed off the platform, apparently having lost the game to the younger one, who remained on the platform.

"Who's next?" She asked, flicking her brown hair behind her ears.

One of the boys who were leaning on the wall near the machine glanced at his watch, before looking up at the brown-haired girl.

"I'd love to Chas, but it's getting late. I'll get slammed if I miss my curfew again." He said, pushing himself off the wall.

The girl shrugged. "Suit yourself. It's not my fault you got stuck with a curfew Jake."

The boy grinned. "You know damn well it is Chas. Later."

The small group of boys waved as they left, with the girl waving back.

After the boys left, the girl slumped her shoulders.

"Now who am I going to play with?" She said to no one in particular.

Red jabbed Purple with his elbow.

"Go on Pur. You'd be good at that." He said grinning.

"You gotta be kidding!"

The girl on the platform looked over at the sound of Purple's surprised cry.

"Hey!" She called.

The trio flinched and looked over.

"One of you guys can play me!"

They had no choice. They walked over slowly.

"Nice going Red, you big dummy." Purple hissed.

When they reached the platform, the girl's brown eyes went very round and her playful smile changed to a look of surprise.

Red and Purple were confused, and Zim was a little concerned.

"Wow!" The girl said, her smile returning.

"What?" Red asked worriedly.

"Nothing. You two are just nice to look at is all." She ignored their looks of confusion and continued. "So which of you are going to play me?"

Red and Purple looked at each other.

The girl sighed. "How about I pick?" She pointed at Red. "You play me."

"Me!"

"Yeah you."

Purple and Zim chuckled.

"Aw, shut up you two." Red hissed as he stepped onto the platform.

The song started, and the arrows started scrolling onto the screen.

Red was a little clumsy with his footwork at first, but he quickly got into the groove, throwing up 'Perfect' and 'Marvellous!' with his score.

The girl glanced at his score for a second and growled. He was beating her!

She streamed through the lighter stuff, and then tried to get ahead with the more complex moves.

Purple and Zim stood quietly behind the platform, their eyes wide in disbelief. Red could DANCE!

Red didn't even seem to be trying. The more complicated steps didn't even faze him.

He and the girl were in perfect sync for most of the song, until the girl got tangled up in her own feet. She tripped, and tumbled off the platform.

She looked up to see Red finish the song… with a perfect score!

There was a gasp behind them as one of the adult humans who apparently worked there saw the girl fall from the platform.

"Good god! Chasidy _lost_!" He cried.

There were more gasps of surprise and muttering from the other staff. As it turned out, the girl was there a lot, and never lost.

"Jeez." She mumbled as she picked herself off the floor.

"You okay?" Purple asked as he and Zim walked around the platform.

"Yeah." The girl turned to Red. "Those were some killer moves you were pulling. No one has ever beaten me before."

Red shrugged, trying to act as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Beginner's luck."

The girl laughed. "I'm Chasidy. Who are you guys?"

"I'm Red… and this is Purple and Zim." Red replied, gesturing to the other two.

"Red, Purple and Zim?" Chasidy said oddly, raising an eyebrow. "Why are you two named after colours?"

"Uh…" They didn't have an answer to that.

Chasidy crossed her arms for a moment, and leaned close to Red, looking deep into his eyes.

"It's because of your eyes." She said quietly. Red blinked as she moved back. "It must be why. You've got red eyes and you've got purple eyes. How fantastic!"

Red and Purple glanced at each other.

Zim coughed.

"That's all well and good, but we really must be heading home now." He said rather impatiently, grabbing Red and Purple by their wrists and pulling them in the direction of the exit. They didn't seem to mind.

* * *

A/N: I borrowd the dance bit from a fic that one of my friends wrote. Iyou read this, you did it first. Don't kill me! 


	4. Halloween

The days rolled by rather slowly for Red and Purple.

They didn't really fit the bill to pose as skool kids like Zim did, so they lounged at home while he went to skool.

One day, Zim came home looking very happy. Most unusual.

"What are you so happy about?" Red asked sleepily as Zim threw his skool books on the table in the kitchen.

"A special Earth holiday is tonight." Zim replied, getting something out of the fridge and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Is that something to be happy about?" Purple asked from his place on the sofa.

"It is! Because tonight is the one night in the year where we can walk the streets without our disguises and not be discovered!" Zim laughed, tearing the wig and contacts off his face.

"How come?" Red asked, taking a muffin off the tray next to him.

"This holiday involves human children dressed up as all kinds of non human-things and wandering around getting snacks from the houses. We can go out and people will think we're in costumes!"

"Free snacks!" Red and Purple cried, jumping up and doing a very undignified dance in the living room.

* * *

Later that night, Zim, Red and Purple wandered the streets together, in the midst of dozens of young human children.

Zim was given the task of going to the houses to retrieve the free snacks and bringing them back. He didn't seem to mind.

They were only out for an hour or so, and they already had more sugary snacks than they could carry. They had even gone back to the base to drop off a load before returning to the streets to get more.

They were on their third run when something very bizarre happened.

While all the young humans were prowling the streets, a progression of tall, frightening creatures came parading down the streets, with an eerie music coming from somewhere unknown, and most of the creatures singing very creepily.

They took up the most frightening positions and threw pumpkins around while they sang their song, scaring the young children half to death.

As the end of the progression came into sight, Red, Purple and Zim (Who was hiding behind the two taller Irken) saw a team of creatures pulling a straw horse on wheels along behind them, which had a scarecrow with a jack-o-lantern for a head sitting upon it, while the creatures who were at the front of the progression had circled around the young children, keeping them cornered.

They all sang as the horse drew closer.

_"This is Halloween! This is Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! In this town, don't we love it now! Everyone's waiting for the next surprise! Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back and scream like a banshee make you jump out of your skin!"_

The pumpkin-headed scarecrow jumped up and burst into flames. It swung its lanky body around, throwing the flames close to the young trick-or-treaters.

The other creatures continued to sing.

_"This is Halloween! Everybody scream! Please make way for a very special guy! Our man Jack is King of the Pumpkin Patch! Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King! Now! This is Halloween! This is Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!"_

The creatures burst into laughter and celebrative singing as all the young humans screamed, dropped their trick-or-treating spoils and bolted.

The Irken trio looked on curiously, as the burning scarecrow extinguished itself with a wave of its hands and pulled its head from its shoulders.

As it turned out, all the creatures in the progression were humans in costumes. Red and Purple's eyes widened as they saw whom it was under the pumpkin.

"Isn't that the dance girl?" Purple whispered.

Red nodded. It was definitely her.

The trio were the only ones left in the street after the progression had swept through, so they stood out a fair bit.

While most of the teenage humans collected the snacks that the younger ones had dropped, Chasidy and the boys who were with her on the day Red, Purple and Zim had met her noticed them still standing on the sidewalk.

Chasidy smiled and walked over with her group of boys behind her.

"Hiya!" She said happily. "Enjoy the show?"

"It was different, that's for sure." Purple said, shrugging.

"Don't you have the 'Trickers Take Treats' parade where you're from?" One of the boys asked.

Red shook his head.

"How sad."

"Nice costumes by the way." Chasidy said grinning. "They look as real as ours do!"

"Heh. Funny that." Purple said sheepishly, putting one of his hands behind his head.

Red flinched slightly as Zim poked him.

"We should go." He hissed.

Red rolled his eyes and sighed. He turned to Chasidy.

"We'd better go home now." He said, turning in the direction of the base.

"Aw, do you have to? We could use some more people to help us hit the next suburb. You'll get a share!" Chasidy said pleadingly.

"Uh, thanks, but we've got plenty." Purple started leading Zim away. "Bye."

Red watched Purple and Zim as they stared to walk away and smiled. He glanced back at Chasidy.

"It was nice seeing you again Chasidy." He said, ignoring the confused looks that he was getting from the humans.

He started to follow Purple and Zim when someone grabbed his wrist. He spun around to see Chasidy holding onto him.

"How do you know me?" She whispered. She didn't recognise him without his disguise.

"Red, remember?"

Her eyes went very round. "Oh! Yeah! I didn't recognise you!"

Obviously.

"I didn't know you lived in this suburb! Which house is yours?" She squealed.

Red smiled. He didn't see how it could hurt her knowing where they lived.

"The green and purple house at the end with the giant lawn gnomes in front. You can't miss it."

Chasidy grinned as she let go of Red's wrist.

"Okay! I might swing by some time!"

"Heh. Yeah, you do that."

Red bolted in the direction of the house as fast as he could, passing Zim and Purple along the way.

* * *

Red slumped down on the sofa.

"Humans are weird." He mumbled.

"Yeah." Purple agreed, sitting on the floor and leaning against the giant pile of sugary snacks that they had collected and chewing on a chocolate bar. "Pretty impressive show though." He said thoughtfully.

"I suppose…"

Zim yawned as he walked through the living room. He paused at the door to the kitchen and looked back.

"Do you two intend to just sit around all day tomorrow?" He asked.

"We don't have anything better to do." Red mumbled, rolling onto his back.

Zim sniffed. "Perhaps you could find something."

Red and Purple looked at Zim strangely.

Zim shrugged it off and turned back towards the kitchen.

"Goodnight." He muttered before disappearing down into the lower base.

* * *

A/N: The halloween song is from nightmare before christmas. I liked it so i put it in instead of writing my own. DON'T KILL ME! Oh, and I wrote this chap with total disregard for the halloween ep of Zim, in which Zim hates halloween. So that's why. 


	5. Discovered

The next morning, after Zim had left for skool, Red and Purple sat in front of the computer screen in the lab, flicking through the ads and other useless information on the humans' Internet system.

They had taken Zim's words seriously for a change, and were trying to find something to do.

"How about that?" Purple said, pointing out an ad on the screen.

Red looked at Purple strangely. "A movie? What in Irk's name is that?"

"Perhaps we should investigate?"

Red grinned ad scribbled the address on a piece of paper.

* * *

Red and Purple ended up seeing a movie about warriors with special powers, who were on a strange quest.

They found it quite enlightening.

As they walked home after the film, the Dib human ambushed them.

"You two are gunna tell me who you are and how you know Zim! Right now!" He demanded.

Red scoffed.

"Are we?"

Purple noticed his partner's eyes beginning to shimmer behind his disguise.

"Red…?"

Red wasn't listening. He switched off his holographic disguise. Dib gasped in horror.

"You… you're one of _them!_" He screeched, waving a pointed finger at Red.

"Not just one," Red's eyes began to glow dimly, and, before he could stop it, Red switched Purple's disguise off as well.

"AAAAAHHH! Another one!"

"Oh shit. What did you have to go and do that for!"

Red snapped around and glared at Purple. Purple's eyes went wide. Red was going to do something the both of them had sworn not to do.

"RED! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" Purple screamed, horrified.

"Try and stop me." Red growled, turning back to the petrified Dib.

It was then that Zim stumbled upon the scene.

"Dib, who are you…! WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Zim's jaw almost dropped right off he was in that much shock.

Purple hastily re-activated his disguise, but Red did not. Instead, his eyes gave off a brilliant crimson light, which blinded everyone. When the small group could see again, Red was gone.

* * *

Purple and Zim didn't see Red for the next couple of days.

When he did return to the base, he was battered, and covered in bruises and blisters. Blisters that Zim recognised as the result of water contact.

Red was considered hospitalised for the next few weeks, while his skin grew back and his bruises faded.

When he was able to move again, the first thing that he encountered was the back of Purple's hand.

Purple raved on about the foolish display of their powers to the human boy and how he could have gotten himself killed. Red just sat still, hanging his head.

Purple knew he was listening.

When Purple was finished raving, something he didn't do a lot, he asked Zim, who had also been listening to every word, if he would get him a drink. Zim did as he was asked without hesitation.

Purple downed his drink in one gulp and exhaled noisily.

Zim was about to burst with curiosity.

"Uh, so… you have special abilities?" He asked cautiously.

Purple sighed. In the midst of his raving Purple had indirectly told Zim about their powers.

"Yes Zim, we do."

"How…?"

"We don't know how. We just got them, and that was that." Red muttered, still clearly ashamed.

"What kind?"

"We can move things with our minds, read other creatures minds, fiddle with them…"

"You can change peoples' _minds_!"

"I suppose…"

"Wow!"

"We can do a whole bunch of other stuff too… but we restrained ourselves from using our powers, so we aren't really practiced in using those powers of ours."

"I see…"

There was a brief pause, with Red and Purple staring at each other. Zim guessed they were talking silently. He wasn't a stupid as people supposed.

"When we figured out what was going on, we didn't know what we were supposed to do. We learnt how to use our powers of course, but that didn't do us any good really." Purple continued, slumping to the floor.

"Why not?"

"We didn't want anyone to know about our powers, so we didn't use them. You're the first to know, Zim."

Zim suddenly felt privileged.

"Second."

Purple and Zim looked over at Red, whose eyes looked angry.

"Excuse me?"

"Anocian. He knows."

"Oh yeah…" Purple looked thoughtful for a moment before his violet eyes became very round.

"How does he know?"

"Good question…"

"And what did Sleet want from him?"

Zim looked back and forth between his comrades, who seemed to be in a world of their own.

"Whoa! Who is Anocian? Why would the new Tallest want something from him? What does he have?"

Red and Purple looked at each other.

"That's a good question Zim. A very good question."

Suddenly, Zim's computer spoke up.

"Incoming communication from the Massive." It said in a bored voice.

"It's Sleet!" Red hissed.

Zim's eyes were wide and he was close to tears.

"Tallests hardly ever call _me!_" He whispered, oblivious to the angry glares he was getting.

"Zim…" Red growled.

"Oh yeah." Zim spun around and laughed rather sheepishly. "Sorry. You'd better hide."

Red and Purple nodded and scrambled away, to hiding places where they could hear, but could not be seen.

The screen flicked on just as Zim turned around.

The figure on the screen was a tallest all right… according to his clothes at least.

"Hello Zim."

"Greetings My Tallest. How nice of you to call." Zim said, pricking his antennae up smartly.

Sleet chuckled.

_Red… _Said Purple's voice in Red's mind. _If Zim says anything remotely like he knows we're here, we're going to be so dead!_

Red nodded to himself in his hiding place.

_I agree. Don't worry Pur. I'll take care of it._

As Zim stood in front of the screen, Red's eyes let off a dim light, which he hid by covering his face in a pillow.

Zim's eyes lost their shine, and his mind was blank. He was being kept there by Red's will alone.

"So Zim," Sleet said in a superior tone. "Has anything happened lately?"

Red growled silently. He knew to what Sleet was referring.

"No My Tallest, nothing to report. This planet tends to be rather dull." Zim answered.

Sleet looked at Zim strangely. "Really? Nothing at all?"

"Nothing sir."

Sleet's eyes narrowed. "I see. Do let me know if anything does."

"But of course."

Sleet nodded and the screen switched off.

Zim collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Red and Purple stood up and walked to the centre of the room, with Purple sweeping a large piece of cloth over the screen, just in case it turned on without warning. Irk knows it had happened to them before.

Purple looked down at the unconscious Zim on the floor.

"You didn't hurt him did you?" Purple asked looking up at Red.

Red sniffed and sat down on the sofa.

"Why? It sounds like you actually care." Red scoffed.

"Well, he does know the most about this planet, so as long as I have to act like a human, yeah, I care!"

"So…" Said a sly voice.

Red and Purple snapped their attention to the door, where Chasidy was slowly pushing the door open and grinning evilly. "This is what you are…"


	6. The Key to the Mind

Red and Purple's eyes were wide with surprise as Chasidy shut the front door behind her.

"C-Chasidy!" Red stuttered.

"I said I would come by." She said grinning. "Didn't think this is what I would find."

Chasidy walked to the centre of the room and picked Zim off the floor and propped him up on the sofa.

"Y'know, you should take better care of those who are trying to protect you." She said, turning to look at Red.

"Protect us? How is Zim trying to protect us?" Red protested.

"Don't you get it Red?" Purple said suddenly, causing Red and Chasidy to look over.

"Every time he's taken us out, he's always looking out for us, like when he saved me from that car."

Red scoffed. "So? Anyone else would have done the same."

"You obviously still don't know how things work on Earth Red." Chasidy said softly, sitting down in the space between Red and Zim. "Not everyone is willing to go out of their way to save others. Most people would ignore it if someone git hit by a car."

"Not even if the person was their superior?"

"Not even."

Purple sighed. "And we're not superiors on this planet Red." He said sadly.

"Or on our planet." Red added grimly.

Chasidy raised an eyebrow. "Is that unusual?"

"Not unusual, but it's not how things have been for a long time."

"I'm not following you."

Red sighed, and the two of them began the retelling of their story, beginning with the hierarchy system on their planet, and ending with how they were torn out of office.

When they were finished, Chasidy looked neither surprised nor confused. She was smiling sadly.

"I read something like this in a book once." She said quietly. "Where the people who were in charge of this big Empire or something were forced to live like those whom they had once presided over… I think it was meant to teach them how to be more generous towards those who weren't as important as them."

"I doubt Sleet wanted to teach us that and then just let us back on the Massive to be the Tallest again." Red grumbled, hanging one of his lanky arms over the arm of the sofa.

Chasidy swept the hair out of her eyes thoughtfully. "That is a bit of a stretch… But you've got to wonder… if this Sleet guy took the no-grow drugs, how did he get taller than you?"

Red and Purple stared at each other, with their eyes very, very wide.

* * *

When Zim awoke, it was morning.

Red was sitting next to him, leaning against the back of the sofa, asleep. He couldn't see where Purple was.

A shiver went up Zim's back. Had something happened?

He clambered off the sofa, being careful not to wake Red, just in case something had happened, and walked into the kitchen.

A wave of relief swept over the small invader when he saw Purple sitting at the kitchen table, playing some kind of card game.

"G'morning Zim." He said quietly as Zim drew closer.

"Good morning…" Zim replied.

Purple looked up from his cards as Zim wandered to the fridge and retrieved his normal morning nutrients.

He looked back down when Zim took a seat at the table across from him to eat.

"Me and Red are going out tonight." He said in a monotone. "You don't mind do you?"

Zim looked at Purple with a smile. "Of course not. Just as long as you're careful."

Purple nodded, and Zim, happy with the response resumed eating.

Purple watched Zim out of the corner of his eye.

_So…_ He thought. _Chasidy was right… He is trying to protect us. Why would he though? We were always so mean to him. Was he that oblivious to our taunts?_

Zim finished his meal and left the room without a word.

_Could we have been wrong about him?_

* * *

Red and Purple left just before sunset.

"_Come to the triangle of trees where the sun sets"_ Chasidy had said.

They looked out into the street. It was deserted, like it always was at this time of day, and the sun was sinking low on the horizon to the left of the base.

Not knowing what to make of Chasidy's riddle, the pair walked towards the disappearing sun.

After a few minutes of walking, Red and Purple came to a small park, with tall trees all around the edge, and in a group in the middle.

Intrigued, they walked over to the trees in the centre, which turned out to be in a triangle.

Before they knew what was happening, someone tackled them from behind.

Red and Purple ended up on their backs, each with a grinning human girl sitting on their chest.

"Chasidy!" Red gasped. "I can't breathe!"

Chasidy giggled and rolled onto the grass next to Red.

Purple looked up at the girl sitting on his chest.

"Who are you, and why are you sitting on me?" He gasped.

The girl laughed and scrambled over to sit next to Chasidy on the grass.

Red coughed and sat up. "So… uh. You brought a friend?"

Chasidy nodded. "Yep." She gestured towards the girl beside her. "This is Roselyn, but we call her Ro."

"Ro?"

Ro grinned and tucked her blonde bangs behind her ears. "Yep. That's me!"

"Ro is my right-hand performer." Chasidy said leaning back on a nearby tree.

"Performer?" Purple asked, sitting up.

Chasidy and Ro smiled.

"We're performers, actors, artists, writers, designers… the whole thing. We're the ones who are the best at making anything fantastic."

"So, I am supposing that you are the ones behind the parade on Halloween… right?" Red said with a slight yawn.

"Yep, that was us." Ro said proudly.

"We organise that every year. Plus a whole bunch of other things. Which is why I asked you here tonight." Chasidy said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Purple asked.

"Do you wanna get back at Sleet?"

Red and Purple froze.

Chasidy smiled. "Of course you do."

"Y-you're going to help us?" Red stuttered.

"Duh."

"How?"

"We have a philosophy." Ro breathed.

"The key to the mind is fear." Chasidy finished.

"Fear?" Purple repeated, not at all convinced.

Chasidy smiled.

"It means, if you want to leave an impression, you scare the hell outta them!"

"I see."

"Now," Chasidy reached into her backpack, which was sitting on the grass next to her tree, and pulled out a pencil and sketchbook. "What is Sleet afraid of?"

Purple and Red looked at each other.

"Dunno..."

Chasidy chewed on her pencil thoughtfully. "We'll have to guess then."

Ro pulled out a sketchbook and pencil of her own and started scribbling something on the paper.

Red looked at her curiously.

"Say, does she…?" He left the end for Chasidy to fill in… just in case.

"Know? Yeah. I told her everything. If she's gunna help, she'd better be on the same page."

"Uh huh…"

"So it's okay to turn your disguises off Y'know."

Red and Purple didn't even move, but seconds later; their Irken selves replaced their Human selves.

Ro glanced up at them for a brief moment before returning to her sketchbook.

Chasidy looked at Ro's page and grinned.

"Ro, you are unbelievable."

Ro looked up and smiled proudly. "Thanks Chas. Like it?"

"I love it. But we should see what they think."

Ro nodded and turned her book around to show Red and Purple what she had drawn.

On the paper, was a very detailed, very accurate drawing of the two of them, but not as they were. Ro had drawn them partly in silhouette, with fire and lightning coming off their arms and swirling around them.

They were both looking very ominous and evil. Very threatening.

Chasidy's eyes glistened in the dying light. "What do you think?"

Red and Purple didn't know what to think. First of all, they were shocked at the skill of the human girl. But then, Chasidy and Ro were suggesting that they take on that threatening appearance.

"I take it from your stunned silence that you are impressed?" Ro asked, feeling very proud of herself.

Red nodded.

Ro grinned.

Chasidy glanced at her watch. "Well guys, we'd better split. We'll start making this a reality, then we can get the show on the road!" She said happily.

The small group stood up, with Red and Purple activating their disguises as they did so.

"I'll come by when we've finished, okay?" Chasidy said in parting.

"Right." Red and Purple said together.

Chasidy and Ro turned to leave, when Chasidy paused. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yeah?"

Chasidy looked over her shoulder at the two Irken males. "Practice your powers. If Sci Fi has taught me anything, it is to not be afraid of what you are capable of. Sometimes, the most frightening things aren't really as scary as they seem."

Chasidy and Ro walked away without another word.

Red and Purple looked at each other. They knew Chasidy had a point, regardless of the fact that neither of them knew what Sci Fi was.


	7. Return to the Massive

Red and Purple spent a lot of time in the main part of the base, practicing their powers. They discovered some intriguing things about them that they had never known before.

It surprised them, how powerful they were.

The monotonous cycle of training would never have stopped, if it weren't for Zim's interference.

"The two of you have short circuited the training room one too many times." He said, standing in their way. "If you must practice again, practice outside."

Red and Purple tried to protest, but Zim didn't leave time for it. He promptly pushed the pair out the front door and slammed it behind them.

"Well that was rude." Purple huffed.

"I'll say." Said someone in front of them.

"Hi Chasidy." Red said waving.

"Hi. How have you been?" The girl asked.

"Good," Purple answered, turning his disguise on. "Yourself?"

"Overwhelmed by this little project of ours."

"Overwhelmed? How so?" Red asked, also activating his disguise.

"Well, I did come over to show you what me and Ro had been up to for the last while, so come on. Ro's waiting at my house."

Chasidy led Red and Purple through the street of the small suburb to a tall white and blue house near the park.

Inside, Ro was tinkering with a strange looking device at the kitchen table.

The girl looked up from her task and smiled. "Hey guys."

"Hi Ro." Purple replied.

"What's all this?" Red asked, gesturing to the masses of technology and other things on the table.

"The project." Chasidy said, taking a seat next to Ro.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble." Purple said, also sitting down.

"It's no trouble. We needed something to do over the holiday-free period." Ro said, returning to her work.

"So what exactly have you done here?" Red asked.

Chasidy grabbed Ro's sketchbook. "Remember this?" She asked, showing off Ro's drawing of them again.

"Yes."

"Well, we're turning you, into this."

"It sounds simple but it ain't." Ro added, closing the side panel on the oval-shaped device she was working on. "There. That's the last one done."

"What do those do?" Purple asked, intrigued.

"They are the keys to the elemental effect." Chasidy said, running a finger over the lightning and fire in the drawing.

"I don't follow."

"Here…" Chasidy grabbed one of the devices and slipped it on Purple's forearm. It fit nicely.

"Hey, do you know what these look like Red?" He said, looking at his friend.

Red grinned. "Yep. I'll agree with you there. They do look like part of Tallest armour."

"Okay Pur, you get the lightning emitters. You can activate them with your powers, so it's seamless. You can channel twenty thousand volts with both of them on." Chasidy said, taking the other oval from the table and handing it to Purple.

"Neat."

"Red, you get the flame thrower model." Chasidy said, handing Red his two.

"Cool."

"You two need to practice using those things before you take on Sleet. Don't want to be caught not knowing what you're doing." Ro said, leaning on the tabletop.

Red and Purple nodded.

"We're not done yet though. We made you special outfits too."

Chasidy handed each of them a bag.

Red looked inside his, and pulled out clothes almost identical to what he was wearing.

"Uh… okay…"

"They're specially made. Fireproof, and lightning proof. So you won't burn or zap yourselves." Ro explained.

"We made a few design alterations, but they're pretty much the same as what you have on." Chasidy added.

"Uh huh."

"We still have a few things to go over, so I'll come get you when the last thing is finalised."

"Okay." Red said, standing up.

The girls watched as Red and Purple said goodbye and left. Chasidy turned to her friend.

"Roselyn Anne Green, you outdo yourself every day." She said grinning.

"Well, in that case, I better get started if I want to outdo yesterday's effort."

* * *

It only took Red and Purple a few days to learn how to use their special equipment properly. It was almost like the things enhanced their powers.

When Chasidy came around again, she found Red, Purple and Zim playing a card game on the living room floor.

Red and Purple were dressed in their new outfits and had their equipment on.

"Boys?" She said stepping through the door. "I think you're officially ready to take on Sleet."

Red and Purple grinned.

"I think you're overlooking something." Zim said, standing up.

"And what's that?" Chasidy asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"How do we get to the Massive? My voot cruiser isn't really big enough to hold more than three and the ship that these two used to get here was destroyed weeks ago. We'd need a big, long distance ship to even come close. And we don't know where the Massive even is!"

Chasidy bit her lower lip. She had forgotten about that.

Zim's computer broke the apprehensive silence. "Incoming transmission from the Massive." It said.

"Crap!" Red hissed.

"Come on!" Purple said, grabbing Chasidy by the arm and dragging her into the kitchen, while Red dove behind the sofa and Zim turned towards the screen.

The screen flicked on, and an image of Sleet appeared.

"Hello Zim." He said in a cool voice.

"Hello."

"How are things on Earth?" Sleet asked, almost leering over Zim through the screen.

"Just fine, thankyou." Zim replied.

Sleet's eyes narrowed. "Alright Zim, I have had enough. If you continue to hide Red and Purple, I will be forced to destroy your little planet."

"Destroy it?"

"Yes Zim, destroy it. And I will enjoy it. Now show me your little friends."

Zim didn't move. Red and Purple had told him very specifically that Sleet was not to know that they were with him.

"You refuse? Very well. I will be at your little mud ball planet tomorrow. Do be ready to meet your doom. Goodbye Zim."

The screen turned off.

"Well," Zim said, turning around, "I think we know how we're going to get to the Massive."

The next day, Zim, GIR, Red, Purple and Chasidy all (Somehow) squeezed into Zim's voot cruiser and shot off into space.

"You were right Zim. This thing isn't big enough." Chasidy said.

"Well, you could have stayed on Earth." Zim snapped, irritated that he had to pilot the cruiser squished up against the window.

Luckily for everyone, the Massive was only two minutes away.

* * *

Sleet sat in the centre of the bridge, and looked out at the small blue and green planet below him. He smiled. Soon, both Red and Purple would be gone forever, and there would be no competition.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

"What happened?" Sleet growled.

"There's been a power surge, and we've lost all power." A technician said.

"Well fix it!"

Sleet stared angrily at the blank screen in front of him.

A low hiss, like acid burning metal away started coming from the closed door. Sleet spun around to see the door explode in an eruption of white-hot flames. Two tall, silhouetted figures entered in the wake of the explosion, followed by three shorter ones, and stood before Sleet who smiled evilly.

"Well. I knew you wouldn't just take what I had done lying down." He said glaring at the two below him. "But this is above even my imagination. I hardly expected you to attack the Massive. Luckily, I prepared for everything." Sleet pulled out a remote control, and pushed a button.

A large cannon descended from the ceiling, and pointed at Red and Purple.

"What is that Sleet?" Red asked, his eyes glowing deep crimson.

"A special cannon from Alcotech. Industries. Created for the special purpose, of killing you."

"That's Anocian's company!" Red hissed.

"Why would Anocian build a cannon to kill us with?" Purple whispered.

Sleet's smile turned into a vile sneer as he looked over the three shorter figures that had entered with Red and Purple.

"Zim." He said, acknowledging the shorter Irken.

Zim's eyes narrowed and he said nothing.

"Do you feel honoured Purple? You will have an audience for you timely demise." Sleet hissed, turning back to Red and Purple. "How privileged you are."

Purple growled.

"Now, my old friend, it is time to say farewell." Sleet pressed a button on the cannon's remote, and a thick beam of light blue light shot out, heading straight for Purple.

Zim ran forward and pushed Purple sideways…


	8. We Were Wrong

Zim collided with the far wall, a big hole in his chest and a glazed look in his eyes. The small Irken hit the floor, and let out one last strangled gasp, before collapsing in a lifeless heap.

Red and Purple stared at Zim's body, which was now sitting in a puddle of Irken blood, with wide eyes.

Purple shifted his gaze to Red.

"He… saved me…" He whispered.

"By Irk… He did…" Red muttered in response.

_We were wrong about him… very wrong… _Purple thought.

Sleet growled. "Meddlesome fool. Oh well. It was only a momentary delay of your departure from this world old friend."

Sleet pressed the button again. Just as the beam of blue light was leaving the cannon, both Purple and Red disappeared, and the beam struck the ground, leaving a big hole in the floor.

"What the…?" Sleet spun around, looking for them.

Before Sleet knew what was happening, Red and Purple had swooped down from the ceiling, knocked the cannon's remote out of his hand and pinned him to the floor.

Sleet looked up at Purple with the greatest look of detest.

"I don't know what the head of Alcotech. did to you, but it won't stop me from obtaining the revenge I so rightly deserve!" He hissed.

Purple looked at Sleet strangely. "What?"

Sleet didn't answer. He kicked Purple in the stomach and scrambled after the remote to his cannon.

Red dove forward to stop him, but Sleet reached the remote before he could, and pressed the button.

The cannon spun around, and fired straight at Red.

The beam hit him square in the back, just below his pak, and Red tumbled to the ground.

Purple screamed, and ran to his friend.

"Red… Red... Please don't die…" He cried, his tears falling on Red's face.

"P… Pur…" Red breathed, before collapsing on the floor.

Sleet smiled.

"No… Red don't leave me…" Purple whispered through tears.

Sleet started laughing at Purple's tears. "Don't worry old friend. You'll join him soon enough."

Purple's eyes glinted, and he spun around to face the laughing Irken behind him.

Sleet's laughter died in his throat when he saw the look on Purple's face. Purple's eyes were darkening as the tears fell from them.

One last tear fell, and landed on Red's face.

* * *

The air crackled, and Sleet stepped back, covering his face with his arm in defence.

When he looked back at Purple, he gasped.

Purple's eyes had darkened to jet-black, and the rage that was shining through them was almost enough to kill Sleet right there.

Almost.

"You've taken everything from me." Purple hissed. "No way to bring it back… But I can…"

Sleet swallowed.

"…Take it from you."

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's short, but that's just how it turned out. Are we liking the story? 


	9. Black Rage and Bloodlust

Sleet stepped backwards.

"What has happened to you?" He asked in disbelief of what he was seeing.

Purple didn't seem to hear him.

* * *

Chasidy looked on fearfully. She didn't know which was more frightening, the fact that Purple was about to go on a killing spree, or that Zim was lying in a pool of his own blood only a few feet away, and that Red was doing the same on the other side of the room.

Zim's robot had seemed to shut down completely. Chasidy didn't know if that was what SIR Units were programmed to do if their owners were killed, but it was certainly what GIR did.

She pulled the little robot onto her knees and shook him gently.

He woke up, and promptly started crying.

Chasidy tenderly patted GIR on the back, trying to comfort him.

* * *

Purple took another step forward, and Sleet took another backward. Thick black bolts were coming off Purple's body, and dancing across the metal floor.

Chasidy's eyes went wide when she saw.

"Black Lightning…" She whispered, drawing GIR's attention. "Some bad things are about to go down."

Sleet was thrown back by one of Purple's bolts. He recovered, only to see Purple dash towards him and pin him to the wall by his neck.

"You're choking me!" Sleet gasped.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?" Purple hissed. "Your blood on this floor will be the last thing you see. But before that happens, you have something to tell me."

Sleet winced and struggled to breathe, as Purple's grip grew tighter.

"How did you make yourself taller?" Purple growled.

Sleet took a ragged gasp of air, and coughed. "I stole equipment from Alcotech and used it to reverse the effects of the drugs then buffet their reversed effect!" He said quickly.

Purple's eye twitched and he tightened his grip, causing Sleet to gasp in pain again.

Purple spun around and flung sleet into the far wall.

"You took everything from me." He hissed. "You took everything! My friend, my job, my life! And you feel no remorse for any of it!"

Sleet pushed himself into a sitting position on the floor where he had landed, and glared at his aggressor.

"There is no remorse! YOUR LIFE IS IN MY HANDS AND I WANT YOU TO DIE!" Sleet roared, pulling out the cannon remote one final time.

The blast of blue light sped towards Purple at a phenomenal speed, but the enraged Irken didn't move.

Sleet grinned smugly as the beam struck Purple's side, but it vanished when the result of the impact became visible.

Purple was still standing.

He had a semi-transparent blue shield around him, which dissipated at a subtle hand gesture from Purple.

Slowly, purple walked towards Sleet, who was frozen in terror for a few moments. When he recovered, the blue-eyed Irken bolted over to where Chasidy and GIR were sitting, scooped the girl up, and held her against his chest with one arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Don't make another move Purple!" Sleet ordered. "Or the girl will be the one to pay!"

Chasidy coughed. Sleet was squeezing the air out of her lungs.

"Purple!" She gasped.

Sleet laughed. "It's your choice, old friend."

"Don't you dare harm her!" Purple growled.

"I'll dare if I want. And harming her will be the result of your disobedience." Sleet hissed as he squeezed Chasidy tighter.

She winced.

"That's enough!" Purple cried. He fell to his hands and knees and hung his head. "Don't… don't hurt her any more."

Sleet held back an eruption of laughter. "Do you yield?"

"I do."

"Purple… no!" Chasidy gasped.

Sleet laughed cruelly.

"You were always weak." Chasidy felt Sleet's grip tighten. "The girl should have stayed on the mud ball planet where she belongs. But now, she will die."

Sleet's grip tightened, and Chasidy cried out in pain.

"NO!"

Sleet loosened his grip and Chasidy slumped over his arm, breathing heavily. She glared up at the alien holding her.

She coiled her legs up and kicked the taller creature in the mid-section as hard as she could.

Sleet dropped Chasidy as he fell backward. Chasidy landed not far from Purple, who shuffled over and helped her off the floor.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I'll live."

Sleet climbed to his feet and growled. "Insolent human."

Purple's black eyes glinted and he whirled on Sleet.

Sleet didn't have time to even gasp, as Purple jumped high into the air, and exploded into a fearsome creature of black and white lightning, and dived at him.

There was a blinding flash of light, and a blood-curdling scream was all that could be heard above the electric crackling.

When the light dimmed, Sleet's charred and disfigured body was lying on the ground, and Purple was standing over him; shoulders hunched and back arched.

"Purple?" Chasidy said quietly.

Purple didn't move. No one did. Neither trace of movement nor flicker of sound could be detected in the room for a long time.

When the still silence was finally broken, the one who broke it, was someone new.

The new comer was not an Irken, but he was still quite tall by their standards. His skin was a pale blue, and instead of hair, he had several curved dull spikes, and his eyes were a deep shade of purple. He wasn't dressed exceptionally elegantly, but elegant all the same.

He strode straight past Chasidy and GIR, and headed straight for Purple. He stopped behind the tall Irken and smiled sadly.

"Purple, we meet again." He said quietly.

* * *

Chasidy could have sworn she heard a 'PING' noise, seconds before Purple spun around in a rage, screamed "YOU!" in a voice most unlike his own and slammed the blue-skinned creature into a wall, holding him by the scruff of his shirt.

Although it was obvious that he was in mortal peril, the blue-skinned creature remained calm.

"I know you're angry with me Purple." He said. "But the fight isn't over yet."

"Sleet is dead." Purple said in a low growl.

"True. But that isn't the only fight. There is still the matter of Red's recovery."

Purple's eyes softened.

"But…" He turned and looked at his friend who was still lying on the floor. "Isn't he…?"

"Dead? Not yet. Perhaps after he has been given medical attention, I will explain everything."

Slowly, Purple lowered the blue-skinned creature to the floor.

Gently readjusting his shirt, the blue-skinned creature pulled out a communicator and switched it on.

"Can we have a med team in here please?" He said into the communicator.

Seconds later, a team of assorted creatures came in, all of them wearing a medical symbol.

They rushed over to Red, and instantly bound his wounds. They attached a small device to his pak, which whirred slightly.

The blue-skinned creature looked over at Chasidy, who was watching with interest.

"So what is your name?" He asked.

Chasidy seemed shocked that she was being spoken to. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but seemed to be at a loss for words, regardless of the fact that it was a very simple question.

The blue-skinned creature smiled.

"I see. My name is Anocian, and do not worry, young one. You have no need to worry for Red. I have the best medical staff in the galaxy."

He turned to Purple when Chasidy nodded. "So my friend. Are you ready to hear what I have to say?"

Purple nodded. The two of them took up seats in the centre of the room, while Chasidy offered her help to the medical staff, who graciously accepted.

* * *

A/N: The next couple of chapters may take a while to come up because I am still writing them. I will, however, do my best to finish them as soon as possible.


	10. Origin

Anocian lent back in the chair he was sitting in as he began to speak.

"I suppose the logical place to begin would be the beginning." He said with a slight laugh.

Looking up at the glint in Purple's black eyes, Anocian decided it would be safer to tell the story without any more humour.

"Alcotech Industries, my company, develop organic based weaponry. You and Red were the latest ones."

"Us? We're… weapons?" Purple whispered.

"Most certainly. We captured the two of you about a year and a half ago now. We had been studying the two of you, using previously developed equipment, installed in several of your Irken Soldiers."

"To which kind of equipment are you referring?" Purple asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Monitoring equipment. It is a small device attached to the back of the eyes. It receives the signals from the eyes and displays them on a monitor at Alcotech HQ. It makes an employee or slave an espionage agent."

Purple nodded.

"We had been monitoring the two of you for a long time."

"Why us?" Purple asked.

"You were the most creative of the Irken race, and definitely the most resourceful. We had been using Irkens to use in our experiments for years, because of the ability to recover from substantial damage, and your adaptability. Plus, you are already dependant on technology to survive, so it made your species the perfect one to use."

Purple growled. He knew that Anocian had a point, and he hated himself for it.

There was no denying it; Irkens needed technology. It was their lifeblood.

Some lifeblood.

Anocian ignored Purple's discomfort and continued.

"You and Red were of great interest to us. You were clearly different to any other Irkens we had ever seen, in more ways than one, so you were chosen."

"What did you do to us?" Purple asked.

"We had been developing a microscopic implant, which, when installed, enhances one's mental abilities. We had tested them on small animals, and they worked perfectly, so, we prepared to install them in you." Anocian paused briefly to let Purple absorb the information.

"We took you from the Massive very discreetly, and installed the implants. Our intention was to keep you with us for much longer, so we could properly judge your new abilities. We had also been developing weaponry to counter your new strength. However, as you may remember, the two of you did not wish to be kept as hostages."

"I remember." Purple growled. "We didn't know what we were doing, but we still managed to cause some damage."

"Expensive damage. The two of you escaped before we were able to perfect the counter weapon, which turned out to everyone's benefit. Sleet, didn't know this small fact, and presumed the weapon had been perfected. Red still lives because of his mistake."

Purple turned to look at Zim, whose blood was still befouling the floor.

"Red still lives… but… Zim…?"

"Is dead." Anocian finished.

Purple's eyes lowered. "He gave his life for me… after everything Red and I did to him… he still did that… Was he really that oblivious to the torment we had caused him?"

"He knew." Anocian said darkly, also looking over at Zim's corpse. "He knew. But he also knew that by taking the blow for you, he would finally gain what he desired from you."

"But didn't he know it would kill him? Didn't he know that he was destroying his life by saving mine?"

"He probably did. But how many times have you wished this?"

Purple was silent.

Anocian nodded. "This is a common thing… especially with children. Wishing that someone would go away forever, but when they do, they're not as happy as they thought they'd be."

Purple sighed and looked away.

"Only one thing remains to be decided." Anocian said.

Purple looked up.

"What happens next?"

Purple glanced at Zim one final time.

"Purple?"

Purple straightened.

"Purple, look at me." Red said.

"No." Purple answered. "No. I won't."

Red sighed. He was standing there, still hurt, covered in bandages, and Purple wouldn't even look at him.

Anocian stood, and walked to Red.

"I am glad you are alright." He said.

"Do I look like I'm alright Anocian?" Red hissed. "For even a moment, does it look like I'm alright!"

Anocian was unaffected by Red's rage. "By alright, I meant alive. Keep yourself that way Red."

Anocian patted Red gently on the shoulder, and walked out of the room, followed by his medical staff.

Chasidy came up and stood next to Red. "Hey."

"Chasidy, are you okay?" Red asked.

Chasidy nodded. "Yeah. I'm more worried about you and Purple."

Red looked up at Purple.

"He won't look at me."

"He doesn't want you to see what his rage did to him."

"What? What rage?"

Chasidy sighed.

"After you fell, Purple was engulfed by rage. His powers were fuelled by this rage and he erupted into a fearsome creature, which ended Sleet." She explained, pointing at Sleet's charred remains.

"Purple did that?"

"Yep. He put my devises into full use. It was scary. Now, you're hurt, Zim's dead, and Purple… Well, he'll never be the same."

Red looked back at Purple and sighed. He closed his eyes, and the whole universe seemed to melt away.

There was only the two of them.

* * *

This is the official second last chapter. The next one, is really just a poetic collection of lines, inspired by Evanescance songs. If you don't get it, don't worry, I don't think I do either. It's really just Purple and Red arguing. Purple is italic text, Red is non-italic in quotation marks. Enjoy!


	11. Goodbye

"Even after everything we've survived together, you still don't see?

You still refuse to look at me, and let me in."

_After all I've done you still don't see? It's me and mine that's caused us pain._

"I love the way you laugh… It's a shame to have not heard it in so long."

_These things have broken me; twisted and torn my heart away. My life no longer is a life to live._

"The worst is over now. We can breathe again, and you and I can heal."

_There is nothing left to heal. It's all burnt away._

"Now that the terror is gone, you can't just leave me."

_I am already gone. There's just too much that time cannot erase._

"We can be strong. We are strong! Its only your fear that is keeping us apart!"

_I no longer fear anything. Nothing in this world can harm me, and never could. I was never here._

"Then, although you were with me, I've been alone all along?"

_Do you remember? When I was lost for so long? And I thought I was too lost to be saved?_

"I remember. Yet I still found you. And when you closed your mind to me, and hid within yourself, I still found you. I will always come back, and find you."

_My wounds cry for the grave. You won't cry for my absence, I know. You forgot me long ago. Like I was never there._

"That's a lie and always will be! If you were to leave, this heart will be missing you; bleeding, until we meet again."

_I will die. You bleed, yet my life slips away. I will soon be no more than a memory._

"Why do you insist this darkness? Why do you embrace the fate I know is not destined for you? I don't feel right when you've gone away."

_I'd love to look at the sun…to look at the sun, and smile._

"Why don't you? Why can't you?"

_I saw you fall… I saw you fall, and then I no longer existed._

"What?"

_I died when I saw you fall. My rage changed me, I am not who I was!_

"You are wrong! You are still my friend, and as long as this is so, you will always be the person you were!"

_No… I am gone. Goodbye. You will not see me again._

"NO! Please! You are still here!"

_Goodbye…_

"PURPLE!"


	12. A Change For the Better

Red's eyes snapped open. Purple was still standing before him, and still wasn't facing him.

"Purple?"

_Goodbye… _

Purple's sad voice echoed through the room as he slowly turned around. Red saw a glimpse of Purple's black eyes, before he seemed to blow away in an unfelt wind, like was made of no more than grains of sand.

Red closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he sighed.

"You were wrong. I will see you again…"

Red, Chasidy and Gir stood on a grass-covered hill, and looked over the city as the Earth's sun began to rise.

Red looked down at the Human girl.

"You realise that we may never see each other again." He said quietly.

"I know. But… you never really know what the future may have in store, do you? And who knows? Even Purple may… come back to this place one day."

As she spoke, her voice changed. It became softer, sweeter… barely a whisper.

Red looked back at the sunrise.

Chasidy looked up at her Irken friend. He seemed different…

She smiled.

"I'll be right here. And I'll be waiting for you… and Purple, to return."

Red closed his eyes.

"No you won't."

Before Chasidy could say another word, Red ran his long fingers through her brown hair, and the world faded away.

Red looked down at the Earth though the window of the Massive. It looked so peaceful, so content. He put his hand on the glass.

"No more. No more suffering, no more hurt. I owe him that much."

Red's eyes began to glow, and then, it began to rain. The rain glittered, and shined as the sun tried to break through it.

All over the world, people left their homes, and stood in the golden rain, arms spread and faces towards the sky, praising their gods. All people let the rain wet their faces, and wash the day's worries away.

But that is not all that was washed away.

Hatred, greed, envy, shame. The greatest sins of man and Irken alike were washed from the humans as the golden rain caressed their bodies.

And for those that knew Zim? Their memories of the Irken were washed away with their sins. To the humans, it was now like he never existed. Any documents that mentioned Zim or the Irken race vanished.

The golden rain filled rivers where they were dry, and created them where there were none. It filled lakes and ponds across the planet, and fed all the plants, filling them with a new energy; a new life.

The Earth was born again.

Red could not help but smile, as he looked down over the Earth as it glowed with new life. He turned, and looked at the Irken people behind him.

"We have been blind." He said quietly. "No more will the Irken Empire take worlds from others. We will give back the worlds we have taken, and help restore them. Then, we shall return to Irk."

There was a quiet murmur from the small group of Irkens before him.

"Forgive me, My Tallest, but, why?" One asked after a short while.

"Because in our quest to conquer the universe, we never saw the harm it did. We caused more anguish and suffering than we were ever to realise."

"So we are retreating? Pulling back in the middle, letting our guilt take us away from our right?" A stubborn one shouted.

The other Irken in the room expected Red to explode, as was his nature. But he just stood quietly, his face hidden by the shadow he cast from the light of the Earth behind him.

"There is to be no more hurting." He said finally. "No more suffering. This war we had sought to win was started by us. It is our right to end it, and nothing more."

Even the stubborn Irken was swayed. Perhaps… this was a change for the better.

The End.

* * *

YAY! DONE! Hope you liked it. And you never know! there might be a sequel in your future! HURRAH for my first ever finished fiction! See you all later! BAI!


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